The kindergarten withdrawal process ended faster than expected. This time too I couldn’t meet the kindergarten principal, but the staff member in charge of related work helped process things quickly.
Meanwhile, Hyeol finished brief goodbyes with the kindergarten teachers and students. Then some of the children burst into tears and confessed their love to Hyeol.
But Hyeol spoke coldly to them without an ounce of mercy.
“Before saying you love me, take care of yourselves first.”
All the students, including the kindergarten teacher, fell backward. Despite Hyeol’s cruel words, the children became a sea of tears and shouted “Gwak Hyeol!” “Gwak Hyeol!” at the top of their lungs until Hyeol left the classroom.
I could really feel Hyeol’s popularity anew.
“Wow, Hyeol, you’re really popular. The kids were crying so much because they won’t see you anymore… Are you really okay with not attending this kindergarten…?”
While walking from outside the classroom to the kindergarten entrance, I asked carefully. If needed, I was thinking of canceling the withdrawal application and letting him graduate from this kindergarten even if it would be a bit of a strain.
“They’ll get over it soon enough.”
“…Huh?”
Then Hyeol looked back briefly as if annoyed and said curtly.
“If I keep coming here, it’ll be hard on dad.”
“……”
Ah… so he knew after all. I tried not to burden even the child like this…
“There’s also something more important right now.”
Something important…?
When I looked at him with puzzled eyes, Hyeol sighed softly and put his kids’ phone in his pocket.
“Because I have to protect dad.”
“……?”
Something seems wrong with what he said, I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you, not…?
“There are too many flies around dad.”
“Flies…?”
At Hyeol’s words, I looked around quickly. I wondered if there were many bugs because it was a remote place. There were no flies, but my gaze naturally moved to one place.
A cattle farm? There were cows gathered on the grassland next to the kindergarten forest path.
“Hyeol, have you been to that farm?”
“Farm? No. I’ve never been there but I often heard cow sounds.”
“Really?”
No way, they had such a good field experience right next door and never went there once? It really seemed like quitting kindergarten was the right choice.
Then this is also an opportunity. I took Hyeol’s hand and started walking.
“Are we going?”
“Yeah, let’s just take a look and go.”
“…Okay.”
At my suggestion, Hyeol made a resigned expression and followed me.
“Wow… it’s much bigger than I thought…”
“……”
The closer we got, the more enormous the farm with white fences was. Hyeol also seemed surprised by the unexpected size as he silently looked around the farm.
“Hyeol, look over there.”
We two stood near the fence and watched the cows roaming freely. We also spotted calves among the large cows.
“Hyeol, look there, there are calves too…”
Just then, Hyeol pulled at my clothes. Wondering why, I turned around to find someone I didn’t particularly want to see had appeared before my eyes.
“…Grandma.”
It was mother-in-law.
“Oh my, Hyeol. Grandma came.”
She took off her sunglasses and smiled warmly.
“Our Hyeol, were you looking at the calves?”
Mother-in-law asked as she approached Hyeol. Her voice was certainly more subdued than when I saw her before. The young master said she was receiving treatment… was that the reason? Or was she still acting now?
I observed mother-in-law with suspicious eyes.
She was wearing a bright red coat and a blouse with a large ribbon around the neck. Instead of the voluminous wavy hair from before, her hair was combed down with a side part and tied firmly with a string, and she was wearing low-heeled shoes instead of high heels.
Just looking at her, I could tell why she appeared in such a form.
“Son-in-law.”
Perhaps noticing my gaze, mother-in-law called me. I really didn’t like the way she addressed me, but since Hyeol was next to me, I decided to restrain myself.
“Seeing your face, you seem to be doing well?”
“Yes, it’s livable now that I’m out of that house.”
“Is that so?”
Mother-in-law slowly approached me with cat-like haughty steps. I hugged Hyeol tightly and didn’t let my guard down. Behind mother-in-law, bodyguards in black clothes were also standing.
“Don’t worry. I only came to see the child today.”
“Then since you’ve seen him, please leave now.”
At my cold response, one of mother-in-law’s eyebrows shot up high. She seemed annoyed but appeared to be patiently enduring it because it was in front of the child.
“How heartless… No matter how much it’s in front of the child, I must say what needs to be said.”
“Moo.”
At that moment, a cow stuck its head out next to mother-in-law.
When did the cow come down here? Several cows were wandering around beyond the fence. Mother-in-law moved away from the fence with an annoyed look and continued speaking.
“…I must say what needs to be said. Do you really think you can properly raise the child by yourself?”
“Mooo.”
“……”
“……”
In the blink of an eye, more cows appeared. The cows that had been grazing in the grassland came in droves. The cows were chewing and ruminating the grass they had eaten from the grassland.
It didn’t feel good. It seemed like we should avoid this.
“We should probably move to another spot…”
Just as I was about to leave with Hyeol in my arms, mother-in-law shouted at me.
“Your mother-in-law is talking, where are you going again…!”
Crack, at the same time I heard something breaking and mother-in-law’s scream rang out loudly.
“Ahhh…!”
Everything happened in an instant. The bodyguards who had been waiting at a close distance came running frantically, and I quickly moved Hyeol to a safe place. The herd of cows that had broken through the fence seemed excited by the red coat mother-in-law was wearing and rushed at her.
“Mooooo!”
The bodyguards tried to approach, but the excited cows threatened them by shaking their heads. Because of the chaotic cows, mother-in-law couldn’t be seen. Time was of the essence. I couldn’t just stand there and watch.
“Hyeol, let me borrow this.”
I gripped the electric shock device in my coat pocket and carefully approached while holding Hyeol’s kindergarten bag like a shield. Bzzt! A loud sound came from the electric shock device. Then the excited cows were startled and their eyes widened.
“That’s right… good…”
It was during that moment when the cows were frightened. I quickly reached toward the red coat among the herd of cows.
“Hold my hand! Quickly…!”
The cows had already lost interest and weren’t attacking the mother-in-law anymore, but she sat collapsed on the ground, her strength drained from shock. I tried to grab her coat collar to pull her out, but my hand couldn’t reach that far. I ended up grabbing the large ribbon around the mother-in-law’s neck.
Swoosh, the mother-in-law who was pulled up by her collar finally came to her senses and flailed her arms and legs. I carried her on my back and ran in the opposite direction where there were no people.
“Mooooo!”
“Huk…!”
But the cows that had been calm started chasing after us at a frightening speed. Seeing the cows’ bright red eyes, I suddenly realized something.
“Clothes! Take it off! Your coat!”
The mother-in-law quickly took off her coat and threw it away. Seeing the coat flying far away, the cows changed direction.
“Huk, huk…”
Rumble, only after confirming that the herd of cows had disappeared beyond the meadow did I wipe away my sweat and check the mother-in-law’s condition. Her neatly tied hair had come undone messily, and one of her shoes was nowhere to be seen. Seeing her still trembling from shock, I took off my coat and covered her shoulders.
“…Are you alright?”
Grab.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
